Police said today that a boat in which a missing 41-year-old West End man was last seen was discovered 20 miles south of Vieques, Puerto Rico.
Paul Stoutt, a resident of Towers, West End, reportedly left the Virgin Islands on Jan. 26 aboard the power catamaran Ocean Star bound for St. Maarten, according to a police press release. Mr. Stoutt was reportedly with two other men at the time. United States Coast Guard officials said the boat was discovered “upside down drifting,” the release stated. No one was sighted in or around the vessel, but officials are searching nearby waters.
Police were alerted last week after the vessel did not return to the territory on Jan. 28 as scheduled, police said. The 26-foot Ocean Star is equipped with two outboard engines.
Mr. Stoutt was described in the release as being five feet, 11 inches tall and weighing 250 pounds. He has a brown complexion and a short haircut, according to the release.
Mr. Stoutt was reportedly sailing with two men from the Dominican Republic. Police said one of Mr. Stoutt’s fellow passengers was Manuel Anderson. The name of the third man is not known, according to the press release.
Community members with information about Mr. Stoutt are asked to call the Criminal Investigation Unit at 494-3822.
See the Feb. 9, 2012 edition for full coverage.